These minutes can't be posted on the CUPE board at the schools or left out where anyone can see them.
This is posted to the EA section of the website.
Minutes from the EA Unit Meeting, September 20, 2018, at DMEC
1. Elections – Unit Chair
Daun Frederickson offered to be co-chair together with SherryAnn
Laurie Butterworth also offered; as too many co-chairs would be confusing, Laurie withdrew until next year.
2. Elections – Recording Secretary
Pattie Price suggested that we rotate and share the secretary duties; everyone agreed so that’s what we will continue to do.
3. Shop Stewards
Daun Frederickson, Laurie Butterworth, and Petra Hoy will continue as EA Shop Stewards; Kam Waraich-Bal was not in attendance so was not asked.
Laura Cole has taken a continuing position in grounds, and grounds already has their maximum number of shop stewards. Patti Price is checking is Laura can continue being a shop steward for EAs or not.
4. Job Evaluation Committee
Robin Reme will continue, Laurie Tourigny is now on the Committee as well.
Patti Price gave more details about the role: the Job Evaluation Committee meets with HR 2x/year; jobs are evaluated every 5 yrs (or should be).
5. Dinner Series / EMCC Report (Daun Frederickson)
Upcoming Dinner Series will focus on executive function, “Back to Basics,” IEP meetings, self-care, and trauma. Anyone who would like to be part of the planning is welcome to do so.
EMCC Report: (Employee Management Communication Committee)
a. Please bring items that need to be discussed with management forward
b. The last meeting was on June 28:
i. Every employee should have district-wide ID by January 2019 (actual date is December 2018, but we anticipate delays)
ii. Intoxicants, including marijuana, will still not be allowed on school property even once it is officially legal in Canada
6. EA Social
Once again the idea of an EA Social event has been suggested. SherryAnn began by asking if we wanted to continue having treats and door prizes at the EA Unit Meetings, as funding for this comes from the social budget that would be used for the EA Social. We voted to keep having treats and prizes at Unit Meetings.
For the Social, we are looking at an event that takes place once each year. Patti Price said that the other units’ socials looked different: clerical has an end of year retirement party, maintenance has a golf tournament and BBQ, custodial staff has a potluck at Seaquam. After discussion, EAs settled on an event near spring break. We will need to have a few people get together to first find out how much interest there is in having a Social, and then to organize the event (location, food, prizes, etc.). We should discuss at the next meeting.
7. Job Postings
Confirmation from Patti: Jobs are filled first by qualifications, then by seniority.
This was followed by discussion with Patti about some of the odd situations that have come up with regard to postings from the end of last year and over the summer, as well as how some new postings come up on Job Connect but are cancelled within days. It appears that mistakes are being made.
Laurie Butterworth asked about the Itinerant EA Positions, which appear to be quite different in reality compared to the posting description in Job Connect.
8. Charlene Dobie, who is an EA in Delta running for school trustee in Surrey, spoke briefly and had materials available for anyone who lived in Surrey.
9. Six of the School Trustee candidates for Delta came to the CUPE General Meeting; the Local, together with DTA, is sponsoring two all-candidate meetings, October 4 in North Delta (at ND theatre} and October 10 in Ladner, (at the Genesis Theatre) from 7:30-10pm
10. A NewsFax will be going to schools with requests for bargaining proposals. There should be a space to make proposals on the CUPE website soon.
11. OHS (Occupational Health and Safety)
Fill Out Incident Reports and Follow Up! A trustee running in Delta requested info through FOI and was told that only 11 reports were filed in Delta last year. This is unacceptable.
This information was followed by a lengthy discussion of classroom safety and what the expectations of EAs are; you have the right to refuse unsafe work. Document and confirm, in writing, any instructions you are given that are suspect.
EA Social
We are planning on having an EA Social at the end of Spring Break. We would like to have your input on it. Would you be interested in having one? Would you attend an EA Social?